Foot and leg correctional device particularly for infants

ABSTRACT

A device for correcting a person&#39;&#39;s leg and foot which is adapted to be worn during sleep, comprising two shoes which are connected through an intermediate holding member which is extensible or retractable in order to set the spacing between the shoes. At least one of the shoes is made of divisible parts that are held in position by an adjustable device so that they may be oriented in a desired manner to effect a correctional pressure on the wearer&#39;&#39;s foot. The arrangement includes a divided sole having one sole portion for example the heel portion connected to a first clamping member and another sole portion such as the toe portion connected to a second clamping member. The clamping members are oriented in a selected angle and spacing by an adjustable connecting member which permits one portion to be shifted particularly angularly in respect to the other. The angular shifting may take place laterally or upwardly or downwardly and the shoe body is advantageously constructed so as to elastically interconnect the upper part to permit such shifting. The device is used by putting each foot of a person such as the infant into the shoe body and lacing the shoes after the parts of the shoes have been adjusted so as to provide the correct orientation to provide bearing pressure against the infant&#39;&#39;s feet to effect the desired correctional pressure. The holding member is then adjusted between the two shoes so as to spread the feet apart by a preferred amount and hold them in this position during the sleeping hours at which treatment occurs.

United States Patent [191 Tummillo FOOT AND LEG CORRECTIONAL DEVICE PARTICULARLY FOR INFANTS Dominick Tummillo, 22 Oak Dr., Upper Saddle River, NJ.

22 Filed: June 6,1974

[21] Appl.No.:476,876

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 128/80 A; 128/87 C [51] Int. Cl. A6lF 3/00 [58] Field of Search..... 128/80 A, 80 E, 80 F, 80 C,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,630,801 3/1953 Mest et al 128/80 A 2,804,070 8/1957 Faulkner 128/80 A 3,777,747 12/1973 Friedman 128/80 A Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-.l. Yasko Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McGlew and Tuttle [57] ABSTRACT A device for correcting a persons leg and foot which [451 July 1,1975

is adapted to be worn during sleep, comprising two shoes which are connected through an intermediate holding member which is extensible or retractable in order to set the spacing between the shoes. At least one of the shoes is made of divisible parts that are held in position by an adjustable device so that they may be oriented in a desired manner to effect a correctional pressure on the wearers foot. The arrangement includes a divided sole having one sole portion for example the heel portion connected to a first clamping member and another sole portion such as the toe portion connected to a second clamping member. The clamping members are oriented in a selected angle and spacing by an adjustable connecting member which permits one portion to be shifted particularly angularly in respect to the other. The angular shifting may take place laterally or upwardly or downwardly and the shoe body is advantageously constructed so as to elastically interconnect the upper part to permit such shifting. The device is used by putting each foot of a person such as the infant into the shoe body and lacing the shoes after the parts of the shoes have been adjusted so as to provide the correct orientation to provide bearing pressure against the infants feet to effect the desired correctional pressure. The holding member is then adjusted between the two shoes so as to spread the feet apart by a preferred amount and hold them in this position during the sleeping hours at which treatment occurs.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FOOT AND LEG CORRECTIONAL DEVICE PARTICULARLY FOR INFANTS DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART At the present time devices are known for correcting the inclination of the bones particularly of young people so as to train them into desired postures in order to insure that undesired walking or standing postures will not be assumed when the individual reaches full maturity. Most such devices include pads and braces which may be adjustably fitted into shoes or which may be applied on separate devices which are fastened to the seat. A difficulty in all of the known devices is that they must be made up individually and they must be custom fitted to each person's foot and even changed after an initial trial thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided a device which may be used to apply a correctional pressure to a person's foot and leg and which may be readily adjusted to accommodate each individual requirement without any difficulty. The inventive device includes few elements which are adapted to be fastened to respective ends of an extensible and retractable holder. The holder may be easily adjusted to set the width between the shoes. At least one of the shoes is made so that at least one portion thereof, for example, the front portion may be adjusted in respect to attitude and to a rear portion. The device advantageously includes means for clamping each shoe on the respective ends of the holder member which is adjustable and at least one of the clamping elements permit the rotation for example of a heel portion in respect to a front portion of the shoe for example it changes the angle of orientation of the front portion either upwardly or downwardly or transversely in respect to the rear portion. A great advantage of the device is that it may be employed by the medical doctor himself and set during the examination in accordance with the conditions he observes. The adjustment may be immediately locked into the shoes so that the device may provide the exact correctional arrangement for the child's feet from the outset.

A further advantage of the device is that one or both shoes may be adjusted so as to apply the correct foot orientation in respect to the front and rear portion of the shoe and this may be done immediately and set as necessary in accordance with the particular development of the person's foot. In addition the shoes may be arranged so that they may be set at a precise spacing so that the device can be worn during the person's sleeping hours to provide the correctional effect.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for correcting a person's leg and foot and which is adapted to be worn during sleep which comprises a pair. of shoes which are adjustably connected to respective ends of an extensible and retractable holding member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which includes means for readily adjusting the front and rear portions of a shoe in order to impart a correctional pressure to a persons foot as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for correction or forming of a person's foot or leg which includes a shoe and a pair of shoes mounted on an adjustable holder which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom side perspective view of a device for correcting an infants foot constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the bottom of the shoe shown in FIG. 4 indicating the adjustable positions thereof.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein comprises a device for forming or correcting the formation of a person's leg and foot which comprises first and second shoes 10 and 12 respectively which have divisible parts in this case a for ward sole part or toe part 14 which is adjustable in re spect to a rear or heel part 16. In the embodiment shown both of the shoes 10 and 12 have the adjustable or divisible parts 14a and 16a but in many instances it is only necessary that one of them have adjustable parts.

In accordance with the invention the shoes 10 and 12 are connected to respective ends of an adjustable member or holder member generally designated 18 which is extensible and retractable.

In the embodiment shown the holder member 18 includes a first part generally designated 20 having a tubular portion 200 which receives a second part generally designated 22. The second part 22 has a bolt 24 which rides in a slot 26 and it is telescopic within the tubular part 20a and may be adjusted for varying the width of the holding member 18. Once adjusted the width is set by securing the bolt 24.

At least one of the shoes for example the shoe I0 is provided with the divisible parts 14 and 16. The part 16 includes a rear sole portion or heel portion 28 having a concave forward portion 30 spaced apart from a convex rear portion 32 of a front sole part 34 of the forward part 14. The forward sole part 34 is secured by a bolt 36 to a bracket 38 of shoe adjustment means generally designated 40. The rear sole part 28 is secured by a bolt 42 through a bracket 44 of the shoe adjusting means 40. The shoe parts 14 and 16 may be rotated about the axis of their mounting bolts 36 and 42 in order to vary their orientation in respect to each other. For this purpose the parts are interconnected at the body portion by an elastic webbing 46 between the top covering portions 14a and 16a of the two parts of the shoe. After the shoe parts are adjusted in a selected position they are locked by tightening of the bolt 42 into a receiving nut 48 which is embedded within the sole 28 by engagement of the bolt 36 into a receiving nut 50 which is engaged in the sole part 34. In order to make certain of the locking of the rear part the rear part includes two members 52 and 54 having opposed teeth which are adjustable relatively angularly and which are interlocked when the bolt 42 is tightened so as to prevent any further turning movement. The rear sole part 28 is also secured directly to its associated end of the holder part 20 and clamped by the bolt 42 in a position against turning thereon.

in accordance with a further feature of the invention the shoe adjusting means includes a universal joint portion generally designated 56 which includes an axle bolt 58 which is secured at one end to a nut 60 secured on the bracket 38 and is threaded into a nut 62 at its opposite end after passing through an opening in the bracket 44. The bracket 44 also carries a nut 64 with a concave end which receives a convex end 66 of the nut 60. When the nut 62 is loosened the nut 60 may be adjusted in respect to the nut 64 either upwardly, downwardly or to any angle to the right or left and after adjustment the nut 62 is again tightened to hold the parts of the shoe in the adjusted oriented position.

With the invention device a physician may use the apparatus to provide a correctional orientation of the persons feet even during examination and this correctiona orientation may be set in the apparatus of the invention and used for correcting the persons feet and legs over a correctional period which may vary in length of time in accordance with the directions of the physician. When the device is to be used either one or both of the shoes and 12 are individually adjusted in order to set the forward portion 14 in respect to the rear portion 16 at a desired angular orientation. After this is done a person puts his foot into each shoe and the shoes are laced up. The holder 20 may have been previously adjusted to hold the feet at the desired spacing or the adjustment may be made afer the shoes are secured on the individuals foot. With the device the foot correction which is imparted by the device may be changed as necessary and in accordance with the orientation of the feet which develops as the device is applied. The device provides an extremely useful means for facilitating the work of a surgeon and also provides a permanent means which may be worn for a long period of time by an individual as necessary.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A correctional shoe comprising a shoe rear heel portion and a shoe forward toe portion, said rear heel portion and said forward toe portion each including a sole part and a top body part over said sole part for receiving the shoe and bracket means connecting said forward toe part and said heel part permitting pivotal movement of said parts in respect to each other, a first bracket connected to the sole of said forward toe part, a second bracket connected to the sole of said rear heel part, and universal means interconnecting said brackets permitting universal pivoting movement between said parts.

2. A correctional shoe according to claim 1, including an elastic webbing between said forward toe part and said rear heel part.

3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein one of said shoe parts has an outwardly curved convex edge and the other has an inwardly curved concave edge receiving the other part and permitting relative rotatable movement between said parts.

4. A shoe according to claim 1, including an elastic webbing between said shoe parts.

5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said bracket means permits pivoting of said toe and heel portions in vertical and horizontal planes.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said holder member includes a first portion which is telescopically engageable with a second portion, and means for clamping said portions in an adjusted position.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said divisible shoe includes a rear heel portion and a forward toe portion, a bracket mounting said rear heel portion and said forward toe portion for relative pivotal movement therebetween.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein said divisible portions of said shoe are interconnected by an elastic webbing.

9. A device for correcting a persons leg and foot particularly for wearing during sleep, comprising first and second shoes adapted to be secured to respective feet of a person, at least one of said shoes having divisible portions, an extensible and retractable holding member for said shoes being connected at respective ends to said first and second shoes with at least one end having adjustment means connected to this end and between two of said divisible shoe portions of said shoe having the divisible portions, said adjustment means permitting shifting of said divisible portions in order to vary the application of pressure thereby to the wearer in accordance with the relative position of said shoe divisible portions, said holding member being adjustable to vary the width between said first and second shoes whereby to set the spacing of the wearer's feet, said bracket comprising a first bracket part secured to said forward toe portion and a second bracket part secured to said rear heel portion of said shoe and a universal joint connection between said first and second bracket parts.

10. A device according to claim 9, including a second bracket connected to said heel portion and a pivot joint connected between said first and second brackets permitting lateral and vertical pivotal movement of said portions.

11. A device for correcting a persons leg and foot particularly for wearing during sleep, comprising first and second shoes adapted to be secured to respective feet of a person, at least one of said shoes having divisible portions, an extensible and retractable holding member for said shoes being connected at respective ends to said first and second shoes with at least one end having adjustment means connected to this end and between two of said divisible shoe portions of said shoe having the divisible portions, said adjustment means permitting shifting of said divisible portions in order to vary the application of pressure thereby to the wearer in accordance with the relative position of said shoe divisible portions, said holding member being adjustable to vary the width between said first and second shoes whereby to set the spacing of the wearers feet, each of said first and second shoes including a heel portion rotatably mounted on said respective ends of said holding member and a bolt for securing said heel portion in an adjusted position, said shoe also including a forward toe portion constituting the other of said divisible portions, a bracket secured to said toe portion and pivotally connected to said heel portion. 

1. A correctional shoe comprising a shoe rear heel portion and a shoe forward toe portion, said rear heel portion and said forward toe portion each including a sole part and a top body part over said sole part for receiving the shoe and bracket means connecting said forward toe part and said heel part permitting pivotal movement of said parts in respect to each other, a first bracket connected to the sole of said forward toe part, a second bracket connected to the sole of said rear heel part, and universal means interconnecting said brackets permitting universal pivoting movement between said parts.
 2. A correctional shoe according to claim 1, including an elastic webbing between said forward toe part and said rear heel part.
 3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein one of said shoe parts has an outwardly curved convex edge and the other has an inwardly curved concave edge receiving the other part and permitting relative rotatable movement between said parts.
 4. A shoe according to claim 1, including an elastic webbing between said shoe parts.
 5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein said bracket means permits pivoting of said toe and heel portions in vertical and horizontal planes.
 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said holder member includes a first portion which is telescopically engageable with a second portion, and means for clamping said portions in an adjusted position.
 7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said divisible shoe includes a rear heel portion and a forward toe portion, a bracket mounting said rear heel portion and said forward toe portion for relative pivotal movement therebetween.
 8. A device according to claim 5, wherein said divisible portions of said shoe are interconnected by an elastic webbing.
 9. A device for correcting a person''s leg and foot particularly for wearing during sleep, comprising first and second shoes adapted to be secured to respective feet of a person, at least one of said shoes having divisible portions, an extensible and retractable holding member for said shoes being connected at respective ends to said first and second shoes with at least one end having adjustment means connected to this end and between two of said divisible shoe portions of said shoe having the divisible portions, said adjustment means permitting shifting of said divisible portions in order to vary the application of pressure thereby to the wearer in accordance with the relative position of said shoe divisible portions, said holding member being adjustable to vary the width between said first and second shoes whereby to set the spacing of the wearer''s feet, said bracket comprising a first bracket part secured to said forward toe portion and a second bracket part secured to said rear heel portion of said shoe and a universal joint connection between said first and second bracket parts.
 10. A device according to claim 9, including a second bracket connected to said heel portion and a pivot joint connected between said first and second brackets permitting lateral and vertical pivotal movement of said portions.
 11. A device for correcting a persons'' leg and foot particularly for wearing during sleep, comprising first and second shoes adapted to be secured to respective feet of a person, at least one of said sheos having divisible portions, an extensible and retractable holding member for said shoes being connected at respective ends to said first and second shoes with at least one end having adjustment means connected to this end and between two of said divisible shoe portions of said shoe having the divisible portions, said adjustment means permitting shifting of said divisible portions in order to vary the application of pressure thereby to the wearer in accordance with the relative position of said shoe divisible portions, said holding member being adjustable to vary the width between said first and second shoes whereby to set the spacing of the wearer''s feet, each of said first and second shoes including a heel portion rotatably mounted on said respective ends of said holding member and a bolt for securing said heel portion in an adjusted position, said shoe also including a forward toe portion constituting the other of said divisible portions, a bracket secured to said toe portion and pivotally connected to said heel portion. 